The Economic Advisory Council advises Federal Reserve officials on regional business conditions and economic issues that have an impact on the marketplace. The council includes representatives from diverse industries as well as nonprofits and organized labor in the Third Federal Reserve District, which includes eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware.

Ernest Dianastasis

Ernest Dianastasis is a managing director and principal of CAI, an IT and consulting company, with headquarters in Allentown, PA. Dianastasis, based in Wilmington, DE, serves on the boards of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and the University City Science Center. He has been a member of the Delaware Business Roundtable since 2001 and is currently chairman of First State Innovation, an initiative that focuses on increasing Delaware's entrepreneurial capacity. He received a B.S. in finance and an M.B.A. in management from Lehigh University.

Chris Gheysens

Chris Gheysens was appointed president of Wawa, Inc., headquartered in Media, PA, in 2012 and was named CEO in 2013. He joined Wawa in 1997, and in 2007, became the company’s chief financial and administrative officer. Gheysens previously worked in the audit practice at Deloitte LLP, in Philadelphia. He has been an active member of the board of directors for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross since 2009. Gheysens also serves on the dean’s advisory committee for the Villanova School of Business. He holds a B.S. in accountancy from Villanova University and an M.B.A. from St. Joseph’s University.

Patrick Magri

Patrick Magri is senior vice president of managed markets and policy for Merck & Co., Inc., in North Wales, PA. Magri joined Merck in 1990 and has held a number of positions of increasing responsibility across several disciplines, including senior vice president and general manager of the Cardiovascular Global Pharmaceutical Franchise; vice president, marketing of the Osteoporosis Franchise; and vice president of commercial operations. Magri is a member of the board of directors for the National Pharmaceutical Council. He has a B.S. in biology from the University of Notre Dame and an M.B.A. from Rutgers University.

Michael Pearson

Michael Pearson is founder and president of Union Packaging, based in Yeadon, PA. Prior to starting Union Packaging in 1999, he served as team leader of the Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Team at MeadWestvaco Consumer Packaging Division. Pearson serves on the boards of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the U.S. Small Business Administration National Small Business Development Center Advisory Board. In 2012, the Urban League of Philadelphia presented Pearson with the Spirit of Innovation Award. Pearson served in the United States military as combat duty Army Officer in the Persian Gulf War where he received the Bronze Star and the Southwest Asiatic Campaign Medal. He received a B.A. in public policy and analysis from the University of Pennsylvania.

The four new Economic Advisory Council appointees replace retiring members John A. Dawkins III, president and CEO of Jo-Dan Enterprises; Robert Laskowski, M.D., president and CEO of Christiana Care Health System; and Valerie J. Sill, CFA, president and CEO, chief investment officer of DuPont Capital Management. A fourth position, vacant since February 2013, is also being filled.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia helps formulate and implement monetary policy, supervises banks and bank and savings and loan holding companies, and provides financial services to depository institutions and the federal government. It is one of the 12 regional Reserve Banks that, together with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., make up the Federal Reserve System. The Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank serves eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware.

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